Ventilating insole



July 5, 1938. Q f5;y SMH-H 2,122,497

VENTILAT ING INSOLES Filed Aug. 17, 1937 www A TTORNEY.

Patented July 5,' 1938 UNITED "STATES PATENT oFFlcE-g r f ,y 2,122,491` Y p v E.` smih.` Denver. om. y

Anuman anni 11, im, sum No. 159,479

' schim. (ci. se-s) This invention relates to improvements in ventilating inner soles and arch supports.v

Many persons-have defective feetv that require supports for the arches and practically everyone suffers during the hot summer weather from overly warm shoes that have no ventilation.

It is quite well understood -that the skin requires constant contactwith fresh air in order to give the sensation of comfort, and it has long been .1 understood that clothing must permit air to reach the body, both in winter and summer.

. The shoes worn by most people,l but by men especially, are so constructed that there is no ventilation around and about the feet, with the ,15 result that the feet are seldom comfortable and during. hot weather are usually exceedingly uncomfortable. Due to thelack of air circulation, the feet acquire a disagreeable odor and the skin an unnatural appearance.

1 It is the object of this invention to produce an insole that can be inserted into any shoe and which is so designed and constructed that it will produce a movement of air from about the heel to and about the arch and ball of the foot, and

thereby replace the vsaturated foul air that is usually present in the ordinary shoe with fresh air.

This invention, briefly described, consists in an insole of such shape that it will ilt the inside of a shoe and extend from the rear to a point between the arch and the ball of the foot; the up of leather is secured to the upper edges of the ribs and this cover is provided, in the heel portion thereof, with a hole that communicates with a groove through which air may enter when the weight of the heel is removed, as it is during each step in walking. When the weight of the body is supported on the foot. the heel will first close the holes so that the air cannot escape, and the pressure of the foot will then compress the resilient compressible ribs, thereby reducing the volume of the channels, thereby forcing the air .to move forwardly and discharging it under the foot adjacent the ball thereof, thereby producing a forced circulation ofthe air.

Having thus briefly described the invention, the same will now be described in detail, and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustratedin its preferred form and in which:

55 Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a shoe, showing the improved insole and `ventilator in place therein;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the insole, the cover being partially` removed so as to better disclose the construction; 5

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 Figure 2. y

In the drawing reference numeral 5 designates 10 an ordinary shoe which has been shown in'longitudinal section. The sole or bottom of the shoe may conveniently be divided into three sections,

6, 1 and 8, which will be referred to as the heel, the shank portion and the ball. The exact points 15 where one stops and the other commences has not been shown as it is indeterminate and not essential to this disclosure.

The insole that forms the subject of this invention terminates at a point which may be con- 20 sidered as the division between the arch and the ball of the foot; somewhat as shown in Fig. 1, and designated by numeral 9.

The insole comprises a bottom lli, which may be of rubber or leather or oi'any other suitable 25 material, shaped to t within an ordinary shoe. Secured to the upper surface of I0 are a .plurality of spaced ribs II, one of which follows closely the outline or outer edge of member I0, and the others of which are located within the outer rib 30 and are spaced apart as shown. The spaces between the ribs have .been designated by reference numeral I2 and will be referred to as channels.

The ribs must be made of some elastic and readily compressible material, and as an example 35 of such a material sponge rubber is indicated.

Attached to the tops of the ribs is a covering I3, which is preferably leather, but may be made of any other suitable material.

The height of the ribs varies and is the highest 40 at the arch and decreases in height towards the front of the insole and terminates in a small shoulder I4. s

The covering I3 projects to the front of the ribs I i and normally rests on the inclined surfaces I5 in the manner shown in Fig. 3, so as to form a flap valve that permits air to be discharged forwardly in the direction of arrow Ii in Fig. 2, but prevents the air from entering the channels from the front of the insole.

'I'he heel portion of the cover I3 isprovided with a plurality of openings I1, one for each channel I2, and these openings form the air intakes and function in a manner to be hereinafter explained. 55

The bottom member Il and the top Il project outwardly beyond the outer rib I I and serve to contact the inside of the shoe. The projecting edges Il and I! can also be trimmed when necessary to produce a better nt with the inside of the shoe.

The insole is made somewhat thicker on the inside at that portion corresponding t0 the arch of the. foot and this hasv been designated by numeral!! 'in Eig. 4.

Let us now assume that an insole constructed in the manner described herein and illustrated in the drawing is put into a shoe in the position shown in Fig. 1 and that the shoe is on a foot. When the entire weight of the person wearing the shoe is supported by one foot, as it is during each step, the heel of the foot pressing down on the top I3 closes the openings I1 and after these have been closed the weight supported bythe ribs II willv compress them, thereby decreasing the volumes of the channels Il. 'I'he air contained in these channels cannot escape .through the holes I1 and is therefore forced out between the front end of the cover Il and the inclined surface Il and into the shoe. jWhen the pressure of the foot is removed from the insole, the heel is the rst part to raise, and this uncovers holes I1 suillciently to permit air to enter the channels as their volumes increase. due to the expansion of the ribs II. In the manner above described, a pump action is obtained that discharges a small quantity of air into the shoe at every step. The air that is thus pumped intoy the shoe underneath the sole of the foot is suilicient to keep the air quite fresh and permits perspiration to evaporate and the moist air to be gradually removed, with the result that the feet are cooler and more comfortable in hot weather and keep warmer in cold weather because the perspiration saturated air is` being constantly removed. n y

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is l. A shoe ventilating inner sole and arch support, comprising in combination, a lower member shaped to ilt a shoe and terminating near the shank portion thereof, the upper surface of said member having longitudinally extending channels separated by ribs of compressibie elastic material, a cover member of air tight material attached to the top of the ribs, the channels opening at the front end of the member, the cover member having holes positioned in the heel portion thereof and communicating with the y permitting an outward flow of air and preventing air from entering the channel from the front.

2. A shoe Ventilating inner sole and arch support, comprising in combination, a lower member shaped to fit a shoe and terminating at a point between the shank portion and the ball portion, the upper surface having a plurality of longitudinally extending channels separated by ribs of compressible rubber, there being a rib extending around the outside of the lower member and several intermediate ribs,` a cover secured to theV tops ofthe ribs, the cover having in its heel portion a plurality of openings, one for each channel, through which air may enter the channels, and valve means at the front ends of the but which prevents it from entering the channels from the front.

3. A ve'ntilating insole comprising a bottom member and a cover member separated by compressible ribs. spaced to form channels, the front ends of the channels being open, and the rear ends closed. the cover member having openings channels which permits the air to be discharged,

near the heel portion which communicate with the channels, the front end of the cover projecting over the front ends of the channels lin position to engage the upper surface of the bottom member to form a flap valve that permits the air to be discharged, but prevents it from entering the channels from the front.

GEORGE E. SMITH 

